Sole-fitting machine



y 25, A. A. RIVINGTON 2,167,054

SOLE-FITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet? 52 50 -56 72 F I I,

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Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STTES signor to United Shoe Paterson,

Machinery Corporation,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 15, 1937, Serial No. 174,578 In Great Britain November 26, 1936 8 Claims.

This invention relates to sole-fitting machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine adapted to cut a channel and also a stitchreceiving groove in an outsole. A type of machine commonly used for performing these operations is provided with a sole support in the form of a driven toothed feed wheel and an edge gage in the form of a driven roll, both mounted in a stationary frame for movement transversely of the direction of feed to vary the distance of the channel from the edge of the sole. Machines of this type are further provided with a head mounted on the stationary frame for heightwise movement in accordance with variations in the thickness of the soles being operated upon. This head carries the channeling and grooving instrumentalities as well as a driven ro-ll engaging the upper surface of the work, and a presser foot for gaging the heightwise position of the head in accordance with the thickness of the sole.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide an improved machine of the type above referred to. In accordance with the invention, the machine illustrated herein is provided with an improved arrangement for carrying the channeling and grooving knives, an improved mechanism for raising the grooving knife out of operative position, an improved arrangement of the feed wheel and edge gage roll which facilitates lateral movement of those members, and with other improvements which will appear in the detailed description'which is to follow.

The various details of construction and combinations of parts of the improved machine will now be described in connection with an illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an illustrative machine showing the margin of the shoe sole in position to be operated upon;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the upper part of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of an edge gage of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the relative positions of certain of the work-engaging parts of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a view showing the arrangement of one of the treadles of the machine; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing details of certain parts of the machine.

In the illustrated machine the work, for example a sole S, as shown in Fig. 1, is engaged marginally on its under side by the periphery of a driven toothed feed wheel 2G and is pressed against the feed Wheel partly by the periphery of a smooth driven upper presser wheel 22 which engages the upper side of the work and partly by a presser foot 24 mounted adjacent to the presser wheel 22. The margin of the work is fed between the wheels 26, 22 past a stationary channeling knife 26, the feed wheel 20 rotating anti-clockwise, viewing the wheels from the left as in Fig. 4, and the presser wheel 22 rotating clockwise. The channeling knife 26 engages the work to cut a marginal channel therein; the knife 26, the presser wheel 22 and the presser foot 24 being mounted in a head 28 which is yieldingly urged downwardly towards the feed Wheel 26. The heightwise position of the head 28 is gaged from the upper surface of the work piece by the presser foot 24, and the channel cut by the knife 26 therefore remains at the same depth below the upper surface of the work regardless of the thickness of the work. A grooving knife 36, mountedfor operation on the work after the channeling knife 26, is provided for cutting a stitch-receiving groove in the base of the channel. There is provided also a driven rotary edge gage it the position of which with regard to the knife 25 determines the distance of the channel from the edge of the work.

The supporting structure of the illustrated machine comprises a stationary main frame 32 having a depending portion (not shown) whereby it is mounted for heightwise adjustment upon a suitable base which in turn may be secured upon a work bench. Integral with the frame 32 and extending upwardly from the right and left hand ends thereof, respectively, as viewed in Fig. 1, are two lugs 35 and 35. In the following description the relation of the various parts of the machine to each other will be described as seen in Fig. 1 unless otherwise mentioned.

Mounted in bearings at the bottom of the two lugs 34 and 36 is a driving shaft 33. The driving arrangements for the shaft 38, which are not shown herein, are of a well-known type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,004,614, granted October 3, 1911, upon the application of Henry W. Winter, and comprise a crank handle at the right-hand end of the shaft assisted by a power-driven pulley which is loosely mounted on the shaft and which may be coupled thereto through a clutch mechanism controlled by the crank handle. The shaft 38 through a pinion 39 drives an intermediate pinion 40 mounted ona shaft M journaled in the lugs 3d and 36. The pinion 40 drives a gear 48 secured upon a shaft 42 which carries the feed wheel 29 and which is j ournaled in suitable bearings formed in the lugs 34 and 36. The shaft 42 is constrained against axial movement to the left by a washer 44 secured upon its right-hand end and bearing against the right-hand side of the lug. 34. A collar'46 integral with the shaft 42 holds the latter against endwise movement to the right by engagement with the left-hand side of thelug 35.

Mounted upon an extension 6| of the shaft 42 is the feed wheel 20. The feed wheel comprises four work-engaging annular toothed sections 50 coaxial with the shaft 42, each of which is capable of movement in an anti-clockwise direction, as seen from the left-hand end of the machine, independently of the'shaft 42, but is prevented from moving clockwise, except with the shaft, by a Horton clutch device similar to that disclosed in the above-mentioned patent to Winter No. 1,004,614. This clutch device comprises a flat annular disk 45 having three circumferentially tapering recesses cut therein in each of which is accommodated a disk roll 49. Each roll 49 is urged in a clockwise direction with reference to the disk 45 by a spring, the arrangement being such that when the annulus 50 tends to move clockwise (with respect to an observer positioned to the left of the machine as seen in Fig. 1) with regard to the disk 45, the roll 49 is urged by the spring into a part of. the recess 41 which is of relatively small radial depth; the action of the relative movement between the disk 45 and section then causes the roll 49 to wedge the disk 45 and section 50 together to prevent clockwise movement of the annulus 50 relatively to the disk 45. 7

When the section 50 is moved anti-clockwise with reference to the disk 45 the roll 49 remains in a part of the recess 41 which is of such a radial depth that no wedging action can occur, being held against the action of the spring 5| by the relative movement of the section 50 and disk 45. Such freedom of the sections 56 to turn independently of'each other in the direction of feed facilitates operation upon work pieces having sharply curved portions.

The four disks 45 and the four sections 5|] are held in assembled relation by screws passing through holes 53 in the disks 45. Four 'of .the sections 50 are'shown in the feed wheel 20, such a number being convenient to use for mens heavy footwear, but the number of sections may be varied as required.

The sections 50 are held together between two disks 52 and 54 having smooth peripheries, the radius of these disks being slightly less than that of the sections 56 so that the teeth of the sections 5| can engage the work. The heads of the screws 55 abut the left-hand side of the left-hand disk 52 and the screws 55 then pass through holes in the disk 54 and are threaded into a bevel gear 56, the arrangement being such that the screws 55 serve to hold the disks 45, 52, 54 and bevel gear 56 together as a unit. A boss 251 extends to the left from the disk 54 and is mounted on the extension 26|. From the center of the bevel gear a boss 58 extends to the right which carries a circumferential groove 66. The bosses 251 and 58 have keyways therein which engage keys 259 on the extension 26L whereby it is ensured that the feed wheel assembly comprising the disks 52, 54, the

sections 50 and their internal clutch devices, the

bevel gear 56 and the bosses 251, 58'shall rotate anti-clockwise when turned by the shaft 42, while the assembly is capable 'of a small axial sliding movement upon the extension 26|. A washer 263 upon the end of the shaft 42 retains the feed wheel assembly upon the shaft while the machine is being assembled.

The feed wheel assembly is urged to the left as a unit by the action of a heavy spring 62 (Fig. 3). The spring 62 is accommodated in a box 64 secured to the lug 36. At its right-hand end the spring 62 engages one end of a screw 66 threaded into the right-hand wall of the box 64, while at its left-hand end the spring presses against a member 68 arranged to slide from right to left in the box 64 and carrying two depending arms, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 10 in Fig. 1, which constitute a yoke. This yoke straddles theboss 58 and the arms thereof extend into the groove 60. In this way the spring 62 operates to urge the feed wheel assembly to the left; the end of the screw 66 extends through the right-hand wall of the box 64 and may be turned to adjust the pressure exerted by the spring 62.

The slide 68 carries a stud 12 on which is mounted a knurled wheel 16. Secured beneath the knurled wheel is a small bevel gear 14 arranged to mesh with and be driven by the bevel gear '56. The knurled wheel 16 constitutes the driven rotary edge gage of the machine and its left-hand edge is arranged to be approximately in the same vertical plane as the right-hand face of the disk 54. The member 68 and the feed wheel assembly move as a unit as a result of the connection between them effected by the aforesaid yoke and the groove 60 and consequently movement of the edge gage i6 and the feed wheel assembly axially of the shaft 42 does not interfere with the proper meshing of the two bevel gears 56 and 14 through which the edge gage I6 is driven from the shaft 42. An advantage of this arrangement is that when the edge gage 16 is moved to the right no gap is opened up immediately beneath the operative parts of the machine into which scraps of the work piece can fall to hinder the return movement of the gage 16 under the action of the spring 62. The member 68 carries sheet metal guards, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral I8, the front and rear portions of which are shaped to extend into the angle between'the edge gage l6 and the disk 54. The rear guard carries clearers in the form of pointed fingers (not shown) which extend into the axial gaps between the sections 50 and serve to clear out waste material which tends to accumulate in these gaps and cause clogging of the teeth of the feed wheel2il. The two guards are readily detachable from the member 68, to provide access to the bevel gears 56 and I4 and other parts concealed beneath them. In adapting the machine to operations which do not require the edge gage 76 to be driven the bevel gear 14 may be omitted.

The feed wheel assembly is retracted against the action of the spring 62 by means of a treadle 5|, Fig. 5. Due to the heavy character of the spring 62 the treadle mechanism is preferably of a compound nature to provide adequate leverage.

in small compass and comprises a treadle lever 53 fulcrumed at its rear end upon a pin supported by a floor plate 55 and coupled to an along the lever 53 from its rear end and comprises a tread plate 59 extending forwardly and an intermediate flat part having a lug 6| adapted to engage the upper surface of a cam piece 63 integral with the lever 53 about five-sixths of the way along the lever 53 from its rear end. This arrangement provides a convenient method of obtaining a leverage of considerable magnitude. The treadle rod I8 extends upwardly, passing through a hole in the end of a long arm 88 of a double lever 88, 82 (see Figs. 1 and 3) and has adjusting nuts threaded on its end. The double lever 88, 82 is fulcrumed about a pin 84 secured in the lug 36 and a small arm 82 of the double lever 88, 82 extends upwardly behind the box 64. The end of the small arm 82 has a recess which accommodates a square block 86 for sliding movement vertically therein. The block 86 is pivoted on a pin 88 integral with the member 68 and extending through a slot inthe back of the box 64. Depression of the treadle I moves the slide 68 to the right and consequently also the feed wheel assembly and the edge gage I6. A screw 98 threaded into the lug 36 and engaging the underside of the arm 88 limits movement of the slide 38 to the right when the treadle is depressed, while movement of the slide 68 to the left under the action of the spring 62 is limited by a similar screw 92 which engages the upper side of the arm 88.

The head 28 of the machine is mounted upon the lugs 34 and 36 of the main frame 32. To provide for such mounting each of the lugs 34 and 36 has its upper portion in the form of a pair of spaced parallel ears, and the head 28 has a pair of depending lugs 94 and 96 which are received between the respective pairs of ears. The lug 96 has a pair of finished surfaces 91 (Fig. 1) and 99 (Fig. 2) which enable it to slide transversely between the ears which constitute the upper part of the lug 36.

The lower part of the lug 94 is similarly provided with finished surfaces so that it may slide between ears upon the lug 34 This arrangement allows adjustment of the head transversely, i. e. from left to right or vice versa, the adjustment being controlled by a screw 98 threaded transversely in the lug 96 and having a circumferential groove I88 into which are accommodated projections, one of which is indicated by the numeral I82, forming part of the lug 36 of the frame 32; the screw 98 is provided with a capstan head I84 by which the adjustment is facilitated. The ears forming part of the lug 34 provide bearings for a pin I86 which passes through an open-ended transverse slot I88 in the lug 94 of the head 28. The pin I86 provides a pivot about which the head 28 may swing, while the slot I88 accommodates the transverse adjustment aforesaid. A small amount of swinging may take place without prejudice to the meshing of the gear 48 with a gear II 8 mentioned hereinafter, due to the nature of the teeth of these gears. It will be observed that the head 28 may readily be detached from the frame 32. The above-described arrangement for mounting the head 28 on the frame 32 is similar to that disclosed in British Letters Patent No. 315,812, dated January 19, 1928 and granted to The Gimson Shoe Machinery Company Limited and Walter Joseph Miller Underwood.

Journaled in hearings in the head His a transverse shaft II2, carrying near its righthand end the gear II8 which meshes with the gear 48, and carrying at its left-hand end, vertically above the toothed sections 58 of the feed wheel 28, the presser wheel 22 which is of brass and has a smooth periphery; As mentioned previously, the work is fed through the machine between the feed wheel.:28 and .thepresser wheel 22. In order that the work may be gripped between the feed wheel 28 and the presser wheel 22 the head 28 is urged downwards by a coil spring H4. The spring II4 surrounds a rod II6 which passes upwardly through a projection II8 on the lug 36 of the frame 32 and is confined between a washer I28, which engages the underside of the projection II 8, and a collar in the form of a nut I22 threaded on the lower end of the rod H6. The upper end of the rod II6 has integral therewith a square block I24 in which are formed two horizontal bores the axes of which pass relatively close one above the other and each axis being perpendicular to a lineparallel to the other. A bolt I25 which may be passed through either bore (after suitably turning the rod H6) and then into a bore in the head 28 of the machine serves to complete the connection between the spring H4 and the head 28. The provision of two holes in the block I24 as described admits of rapid change in the value of the pressure of the spring II4 when desired, or, alternatively enables the machine to be set to accommodate thick work pieces while not requiring a correspondingly large movement of a lever I26 by which the head 28 may be lifted. The lever I26 is pivoted on a transverse stud extending from the stationary frame 32. The forward end of the lever I26 underlies the lower end of the rod II6, as shown in Fig. 1, while a treadle rod 65 couples the rear end of the lever I26 to a second treadle 67 pivoted on the floor plate 55 aforesaid. Depression of the treadle 61 serves to swing the left-hand end of the head 28 upwardly about the pin I86 to allow the introduction of work between the presser wheel 22 and the feed wheel 28. Downward movement of the head 28 is limited adjustably by a stop screw I28 threaded into the lug 36 of the frame 32.

Mounted for vertical sliding movement near the left-hand end of the head 28 is a knife slide I38 (Fig. l). The slide I38 is shaped as an inverted U, comprising a horizontal bridge piece and two vertical limbs I32 (Figs. 1 and 6) and I34 (Figs. 2 and 6). The slide I38 is adjustable vertically relative to the head 28 by means of an adjusting screw I36 which is threaded into the head 28 and which has a large cap I38 by which it may be turned. The cap I38 may conveniently carry graduations upon its upper surface which register with an index mark on a stud I48 on the head 28 and indicate the extent of the vertical movement imparted to the slide I38.

Relative vertical movement of the slide I38 and the screw I36 is prevented by a shoulder I42 on the screw which abuts the under side of the horizontal bridge piece of the slide I38 and by the engagement with the top of the said bridge piece of a collar I44 which forms part of the cap I38. The vertical links I32 and I34 extend downwardly in front of and rearwardly of, respectively, the right-hand end portion of the head 28 which they embrace. The limb I 32 carries the channeling knife 26 while the limb I34 carries the grooving knife 38. A pair of compression springs I45 seated in recesses in the head 28 bear upwardly against the under surface in the abovementioned bridge piece and take up any play in the threads of the screw I36 and prevent undesired turning of the screw. The slide I 38 may be secured in adjusted position by turning a knurled nut I46 (see Fig. 6), which is threaded on a stud I48. The stud I48 passes through a bore in the head 28 and through slots in. the

limbs --I32 and I34 and has a collar I58 at its rear end. Tightening of the nut I46 on thestud I48 draws the limb-s I32 and I34 together to clamp them against the head 28.

The limb I34 of the slide I30, which carries the grooving knife 30, has a vertical guideway therein in which a slide I52 is mounted for vertical sliding movement, as shown in Fig. 2. The

slide I52 carries the grooving knife 30 at its lower end and comprises an upper section I54 and a lower section I56 held together in fixed relation by a screw I58. The upper part of the section I56 overlaps the lower part of the section I54 and the screw I58 passes through a key-hole.

slot I60 in the section I56 and isthreaded into the section I54. When the screw IE8 is tightened the sections I54 and I56 of the slide I52 are effectively integral, but when the screw I58 is released the section I56 may be lowered relatively tothe section I54, the upper'enlarged part of the slot I68 passed over the head of the screw I58 and the section I56 detached from the machine together with the grooving knife 30 which is attached thereto. This arrangement allows the grooving knife to be repositioned without diniculty after it has been removed, with the secat its upper end to the link I by a pivot I14.

Extending approximately horizontally from the upper link I10 at a locality adjacent to the pivotal connection I14 is an arm I12, the link I 10 together with the arm I 12 constituting a bell crank fulcrumed on the pivot I14. The upper end of the link I18 is connected by a pivot I16 to the lower part of a bolt I18 which, in turn, is

adjustably secured to a lug I88 integral with the limb I34 by nuts I82 and I84 threaded on the bolt I18 and engaging the upper and lower sides 7 of the lug.

It will be apparent that the above-described arrangement enables the toggle I68, I10 when broken to hold the groovingknife 38 in an elevated (and inoperative) position, and when straightened to maintain the knife 30 in a lowered and operative position. Actuation of the toggle I68, I10 is effected by a third treadle I85,

depression of which pulls down a treadle rod I86 whichis coupled at I88 to a long arm I90 of a bell crank lever I90, I92 connected to the head 28 by a pivot I94. A short arm I92 of the bell crank lever I90, I92 is connected, by a pivot I96 to one end of a connecting rod I98 the other end of which is connected by a pivot7208' to the arm I12 of the bell crank lever I10, I12. The arrangement is such that depression of the treadle I85 swings the bell crank lever I90, I92 in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 2) aboutits pivot at I94thereby causing the rod I98. to break the toggle I68, I10 and the knife 30 to.be moved into an inoperative position.

Such counterclockwise movement of the bell 204 interposed between the arm I92 and the head 28, until the toggle I68, I10 has been straightened into the position shown in Fig. 2. Further movement toward the left (as seen in Fig. 2) is prevented by contact of a surface on the link I68 with a surface 206 on the section I54 of the slide.I52 and the toggle I68, I 10 then serves to hold the knife 30 and the limb I34 in fixed relation.

Should provision for moving the grooving knife 38 out of operative position not be required, the link I68 and the bell crank lever I10, H2 may be removed and the pivots at I16 and I66 joined by a single link, the treadle I85 and associated parts being dispensed with.

At its lower end the lower section I56 of the slide I52 has an extension 268 in the form of a split clamp suitably shaped to allow forward and rearward sliding therein. of a square block 2I0 (prior to clamping in position). The forward face of the block 2I0'is formed as a small disk 2I2 (Fig. 4), and sliding axially through a bore in the block is a sleeve having a disk 2 I4 integral therewith at its forward end. The sleeve has an internal screw thread which accommodates a clamping screw 2I6 part of the head of which is received in a recess countersunk in the rear end of the block 2I8. By tightening the screw 2I6 the disks 2I2, 2I4 may be urged together. The grooving knife 30 which is formed in the usual manner of a sharp-ended tube is integral with a U-shaped blank 2I8 (Figs. 2 and 4), which is gripped between the disks 2I2 and 2I4, the U- shaped blank 2I8 fitting loosely round'the sleeve last mentioned and allowing a certain measure of arbitrary adjustment of the knife 30 relatively to the slide I52, prior to 2I6.

The front limb I32 of the knife slide I30 has clamping by the screw formed therein an arcuate groove 220 in which slides a correspondingly shaped tongue which forms part of a knife-supporting sector 222.:

(one of which is indicated in Fig. 4) extend into a the bores in the part 226. The sleeves 221 are internally screw-threaded and the clamping plate 224 is urged towards the rear end of the part 226 of the sector 222 by screws 228 passing into the bores, engaging the internal screw threads in the sleeves 221 and having enlarged heads abutting the forward side of the sector 222. The channeling knife 26, which may be of the usual form comprising a W -shaped blank with a cutting blade atone of the lower corners, is clamped between the clamping plate 224 and the 'rear end of the rearwardly extending part 226 of the sector 222 by the screws 228. The arms of the W-shaped blank are separated by distances greater than the diameters of the sleeves 221 which they embrace, thereby providing for a certain amount of arbitrary adjustment. in a vertical plane (which may include adjustment transversely, vertically or angularly, severally or in combination) between the knife 26 and .the sector 222. However, with the adjustments provided on the machine the arbitrary setting of the knife just referred to become unnecessary, controlled adjustment being provided to suit all requirements. Consequently a knife blank having merely a pair of spaced holes which fit closely on the sleeves 221 may be used, and as a result the skill customarily necessary in performing the arbitrary setting of the knife 26 relatively to the sector 222 is not required since, as will be appreciated, the knife can be placed in any desired position of adjustment transversely, vertically or angularly by independent adjustments as will be more particularly pointed out. Shims, such as 230 (Fig. 4), {may be inserted at either or at both sides of the knife blank to position the knife 26 in the desired forward and rearward relation with regard to the presser foot 24.

The arcuate groove 228 and the arcuate slot through which the screws 223 pass have their center approximately at the tip of the blade of the channeling knife 26. In this way the angle at which the channel is cut is readily adjustable by sliding the tongue of the sector 222 round the arcuate groove 228, this adjustment not afiecting substantially the other settings of the knife. By removing the two screws 223 which are threaded into the limb I32 and hold the sector 222 in place thereon, the sector 222 may be released from the slide I38 for the purpose of sharpening the knife 26, which is removed as a unit with the sector 222. In order that the sector 222 may be returned, after the sharpening, to its previous position on the slide I38, the limb I32 has adjustably secured thereto an arc-shaped piece 232 I having therein a slot of the same curvature as that of the arcuate groove 226. A screw passing through this slot secures the arc-shaped piece in adjusted position upon the limb I32. The piece 232 is adjusted when the sector 222 is adjusted and its securing screw then looked; the piece 232 has a stepped part which normally cooperates with a stepped part of the sector 222, as indicated by the numeral 234 on Fig. 1. When the sector 222 has been removed and is to be replaced, care is taken that the stepped parts of the piece 232 and sector 222 cooperate in the manner shown in Fig. 1, thereby insuring that the sector 222 is in its previous position of adjustment. Consequently the channeling knife 26 need not be set afresh.

The presser foot 24 of the machine is secured close to the forward end of the head 28. It comprises a straight bar and a rearwardly extending curved end part of substantially the same curvature as the periphery of the presser wheel 22. Vertical adjustment of the presser foot 24 relatively to the head and to the presser wheel 22 is provided for by clamping screws 236 passing through vertical slots in the presser foot and threaded into the head. Engaging the top of the presser foot 24 is a screw 238 threaded into the head 28, whereby the adjustment is maintained and facilitated. It is usually desired that the under surfaces of the presser foot 24 and of the presser wheel 22 should be at the same level. This adjustment may be effected by the parts above described. It is further usually desired that the presser foot 24 should press upon the work right up to the edge of the work and so the right-hand side of the presser foot 24 will commonly be adjacent to. the operative part of the edge gage I6. If the head 28 has been adjusted transversely to the right, then the substitution of a narrower presser foot will be desirable to prevent the presser foot fouling the edge gage and adjustment of the head 28 to: the left will allow the use of a wider presser foot.

It will be seen that in the illustrated machine various adjustments are provided for each of the two knives 26 and 30 and that these adjustments may each'be effected without affecting other adjustments. Considering first the channeling knife 26, this may be conveniently adjusted vertically with regard to the presser foot 24 by rotation of the screw I36 with the large graduated cap I38, thus varying the depth of the channel below the upper side of the work (in the case of outsoles this side will normally be the grain side). Alteration in the distance of the channel from the edge is provided, for example,

by the transverse adjustment of the head 28 of With regard to the adjustments of the grooving knife 30, which cuts a stitch-receiving groove at the base of the channel, the above-described arbitrary adjustment may be used to ensure that the cutting portion of the knife will lie behind the tip of the channeling knife. ment of the grooving knife 38 relatively to the channeling knife 26 is effected by adjusting the nuts I82 and I84 which determine the heightwise position of the slide I52 in its guideway. The

Heightwise adjustif above-mentioned transverse adjustment of the I head 28 of the machine does not destroy the relationship between the two knives 26 and 30 but moves them transversely as a unit. Similarly, adjustment of the screw I36 does not destroy the relationship between the knives 26 and 38 but moves them vertically as a unit.

It may also be desired, in operating upon outsoles, that the channel cut by the channeling knife 26 should be further from the edge of the sole in the shank portion than in the forepart.

To perform a channeling operation of this nature upon the outsole the operator first depresses the treadles 6! and 5| to elevate the head 28 and to hold the edge gage I6 to the right. He then introduces the sole between the presser wheel 22 and the feed wheel 20 at a point near the heel breast line, with the toe end of the sole towards him. Keeping the sole well pressed against the edge gage I6 with his left hand, he releases the treadle 61 to lower the head 28 and turns the driving shaft 38 so that the sole is fed away from him.v 'When a point near the ball line is reached the treadle 5| is released, causing the edge gage I6 to move to the left and to move the sole to the left along with it, thereby bringing the channel which is being cut closer to the edge of the sole. It will be noted that in the illustrated machine the feed wheel 20 and the edge gage I6 move together as a unit on depression or release of the treadle 5|, thereby avoiding any damage to the sole which might result from relative movement between the sole and the teeth of the feed wheel. The channel is continued around the forepart of the sole and, on reaching the ball line on the other side of the sole, the treadle 5! is again depressed, and the edge gage I6 returned to the right together with the feed wheel assembly. On approaching the heel breast line again, the rotation of the driving shaft is discontinued and the sole removed from the machine after depression of the treadle 61.

spring acting upon said edge gage to urge said Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sole fitting machine comprising a tool for operating upon a sole, a feed wheel for supporting the sole and feeding the sole past said tool, a driven shaft upon which said feed wheel is slidably keyed, a rotary edge gage for positioning the sole relatively to said tool, a driving connection between the feed wheel and the edge gage for rotating the edge gage in a direction to assist in feeding the work, a, guide in which said edge gage is mounted for movement in a direction parallel to said shaft, a connection between said edge gage and said feed wheel for causing the edge gage and the feed wheel to be moved together in a direction parallel to the feed wheel shaft, a

ing the sole and feeding the sole past said too],

said "feed wheel having a hub with a circumferential slot therein, a driven shaft upon which said feed wheel is slidably keyed, a rotary edgegage, a supporting block in which said edge gage roll is rotatably'mounted, a driving connection between said feed wheel and said edge gage for rotating said edge gage in a direction to assist in feeding the work, a guide in which said edge gage is slidably mounted for movement lengthwise of the feed wheel shaft, a yoke extending from said edge gage supporting block and engaging the slot in said hub to cause the feed wheel to move along its driving shaft when the edge gage supporting block is moved lengthwise of said driving shaft, a spring acting upon said edge gage supporting block to cause the edge gage roll and the feed wheel to move as a unit lengthwise ofsaid driving shaft, an operator-controlled lever connected to said edge gage supporting block for retracting said edge gage roll and said feed wheel against the force of said spring, and a pair of adjustable stops engageable with said lever to limit the extent to which the edge gage and the feed wheel can be moved by the spring and retracted by the lever.

3. A channeling machine comprising a sole support, a'head, a slide mountedin. said head for heightwise adjustment toward and from said sole support, a channeling knife carried by said slide, a grooving knife, a slide upon which said grooving knife is carried, said channeling knife slide having a guideway in which said grooving knife slide is mounted for relative heightwise movement, a toggle mechanism for moving said grooving knife slide relatively to said channeling knife slide, and operator-controlled means for breaking and straightening said toggle to move the grooving knife slide relatively to the chanhead relatively to' said sole support in accordance with local variations in the thickness of a sole being operated upon, a slide mounted .in said head for relative heightwise adjustment toward and from; said sole support, a channeling knife carried by said slide, agrooving knife, a slide upon which said grooving knife is carried, said channeling knife slide having a guideway in which said grooving knife slide is mounted for relative heightwise movement, a pair of toggle links pivotally connected to each other, one of said links being pivotally connected to said channeling knife slide and the other of said links beknife slide upon transverse movement of the pivotal connection between said links,resilient means including a stop for maintaining said toggle links in substantially straightened relation with the grooving knife down in operating position, and

operator-controlled means for breaking the toggle formed by said links to raise said grooving knife.

5. In a channeling machine, a carrier for a channeling knife, a support in which said knife carrier is slidably mounted for arcuate movement to enable the inclination of V the knife to be adjusted, means for securing said carrier to said support in adjusted position, a stop engageable with said carrier to limit arcuate movement of the carrier in one direction, and means for adjustably securing said stop to said support to stop said carrier at any desired position of adjustment of the inclination of said knife, thereby enabling the operator to replace the knife carrier after removing the same from said support in the same positionv of adjustment which the knife carrier occupied before removal.

6. In a channeling machine, a slide constructed and arranged to carry a grooving knife, a support.

having a guideway in which said slide is mounted for relative heightwise movement, a pair of links pivotally connected to each other to form a. toggle, the lower end of one of said links'being pivotally. connected to said slide and the upper end of the other link being pivotally connected to said support, and operator-controlled means. for

breaking and straightening said. toggle to vary the heightwise position of the grooving knife.

'7. A sole fitting machine comprising a stationary frame, a sole support carried by said frame, a

head adapted to carry a tool for performing a sole terposed between said collar and saidframe, an

adjustable pin connection between said rodand said head whereby the operating tension on said head may be readily adjusted, a stop for limiting downward movement of said head under the influence of said spring, a lever arranged for abutting engagement with the lower portion ofsaid rod, and a treadle mechanism for operating said lever to urge the rod upwardly and thereby to raise the head against the force of said spring 8. In a sole fitting machine having a stationary frame carrying a work support and a tool-carrying head movable heightwise in accordance with variations in the thickness of the work, a tensioning member for holding downsaid head comprising a rod adapted to be pivotally connected to the head and to pass through an opening in the frame, a collar on the lower end of the rod, and a compression spring surrounding said rod and adapted to be interposed between the frame and said collar to tension the rod, the rod having two holes in its upper end portion for alternatively receiving a pivotal connection to the head, which holes are located at slightly unequal distances from said collar and the axis of either hole being substantially perpendicular to a line drawn parallel to the axis of the other hole, said holes, enabling the operator by changing the pivotal connection from one hole to the other by a quarter turn of the rod to effect a quick adjustment of the operating tension of the member.

ARTHUR ALAN RIVINGTON. 

